Lady Wildcats unable to hold lead, fall at Augusta

El Dorado’s girls basketball team had full control of its game Tuesday night at Augusta as it cruised to a 30-18 halftime lead.

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By Jeremy Costello

Butler County Times Gazette

By Jeremy Costello

Posted Jan. 17, 2013 at 3:00 PM

By Jeremy Costello
Posted Jan. 17, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Augusta, Kan.

El Dorado’s girls basketball team had full control of its game Tuesday night at Augusta as it cruised to a 30-18 halftime lead.

But in the third quarter, the Wildcats lost that control.

The Orioles’ defense held El Dorado to just four points in the third quarter and stormed back for a big second half on way to a 53-45 win at Hutter Gymnasium.

Nothing worked for El Dorado. Andrea Valadez was smothered. None of the other Wildcats were able to muster much offense. Augusta fought for every key rebound as the Orioles managed a 23-13 advantage. The Orioles scored 13 second-chance points to El Dorado’s three.

El Dorado had an 18-7 advantage at the free throw line in the first half, but the Orioles were the aggressors in the second half and got to the line several times.

“They got to the free throw line. We didn’t move our feet and, from the third quarter on, we fouled,” El Dorado coach Shauna Riedy said. “They ran some offense and we didn’t guard very well.”

It was quite the contrast from early in the game. El Dorado closed the first quarter on a 6-0 spurt to lead 15-12, then kept rolling to lead 24-12 after Valadez drained a 3-pointer.

“We got some rebounds and we got some layups actually. We kicked the ball up the floor and got some putbacks,” Riedy said.

Six different Wildcats scored during the stretch. Whitney Luck scored on a fast break on a pass from Kayln Beel. Morgan Limon scored pair of baskets.

In the second half, Augusta keyed in on Valadez and made it difficult for the rest of the offense to get good looks.

“That’s how it’s been all year,” Riedy said. “Our other kids have to look to score. They got to realize how wide open they are. That’s what we did in the first half so well.”

El Dorado was down by a few points several times late in the game, but couldn’t get baskets when needed.

The Lady Wildcats will be back in action next Thursday through Saturday as they host the Lady Cat Classic.